Cessna 172M N12504

Summary

On 10 July 2012 at about 17:45 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N12504, operated by Richard Smith, was involved in an accident near South Wayne, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 July 2012 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

South Wayne, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Monroe Municipal Airport (EFT)

Coordinates

42.5667, -90.1167

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N12504

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Richard Smith

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kokomo → St. Paul

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12LA508

1 person was seriously injured.

Internal engine component failures, which resulted from oil starvation due to debris in the oil system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after about 2 hours 20 minutes of uneventful flight and while cruising at 4,500 ft mean sea level, the engine rpm decreased. He applied carburetor heat, and, about 2 minutes later, the engine rpm decreased to about 1,500, the oil pressure dropped to 0, and the propeller stopped. The oil temperature indicator in the cockpit was in the normal range. The pilot chose to execute a forced landing in a soybean field since an airport was not within glide distance. Upon touchdown in the field, the airplane flipped over and then came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane wreckage revealed that a sufficient quantity of oil (about 5 quarts) was present in the engine and that the lubrication system was intact and appeared to be in compliance with applicable airworthiness directives. However, two pieces of foreign plasticlike material, which were about 1/4 inch by 3/8 inch and 1/4 inch by 5/16 inch, respectively, were found lodged in the oil sump screen. The debris likely blocked oil distribution to the engine, which resulted in oil starvation and the subsequent connecting rod failure. It could not be determined how the debris got into the oil system; the exact source of the debris also could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.